I Am Not You
by Rago Dragovian
Summary: R U Theory complaint. Rinoa fights her future self in a death match during the holy grail war. She refuses to believe she would ever become Caster Ultimecia. "I reject you, I reject your words, and I reject your future! I am not you!" -One Shot Fic-


A/N : To all those naysayers who reiterate the same old thing "Rinoa = Ultimecia has been disproved". Where's the official source? Nobody, since the nay-saying conception, has given a verifiable source. At best, citing an unverifiable third-party company that went bankrupt years ago and even that doesn't contradict the theory because we're never told how far into the future Ultimecia exists. A "generation" can be anywhere from thirty to 1000 years. So the lifespan angle is ambiguous at best. Honestly, I have never found anything from Squaresoft/Square Enix denying the theory. If anybody has a verifiable source (not that Wiki article that disproves nothing) then please show me.

This is basically Fate/Stay Night with Final Fantasy characters. The title is suppose to be: "I Am (Not) You" but this site gets rid of the "()" so I just went with two lowercase L's. lol

As for why I made this... because I was inspired by the UBW movie and FF8! There is just something so wonderfully beautiful about a young person fighting their future self, fighting against the proclamation that everything they strongly believe in leads to failure, and with a refusal to believe they'll regret the decisions they're making. Something just makes me think... THAT IS FUCKING AWESOME!

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy 8 and Fate/Stay Night are not mine.

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><p>"<em>You must fight to the end! Even though it may bring tragedy to others!" – Edea Kramer<em>

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><p><em><strong>Einzbern Castle<strong>_

"I see that you have made it here…" spoke Sorceress Ultimecia, surveying her opponent from the top of the stairs. "Excellent, as expected, your impetuous nature would only lead you here to your doom."

"Caster," interrupted Aerith, looking between the two. "You and Rinoa both have the exact same necklace. I was told that it was created by Sorceress Edea as a farewell gift to Squall before he left the orphanage when he was a young boy and that there is only one like it… if that's true then…"

"Smart girl." acknowledged Ultimecia smiling thinly; there was no humor in her tone. "There has only been one Griever ring in the entire world. Rinoa Heartilly would hold onto it for her entire life. Nobody else has it. No other like it has ever or will ever exist."

"Then… your real name is…" Aerith couldn't finish. It was too sad to think about.

"Heroic Spirit Heartilly." finished Rinoa glaring daggers at Ultimecia, "I refuse to believe it! How could _I _become _you_? We don't even believe in the same ideals! I'm nothing like you!"

"Correct." responded Ultimecia, confusing both Aerith and Rinoa, "We're nothing alike. That is because, until I had fully transformed within time compression, I had forgotten who I really was. I had become an entirely different person. Look at the markings on my body, the black wings of my back, these claws, and think on whom it was that I tried to go into the past of…."

When Rinoa only gave her a dumfounded expression she continued.

"When Adel junctioned me – in this case you - onto herself… she left you her memories of her younger years. I kept this ring Squall gave me for years never knowing that my powers were slowly making it into a Guardian Force. I waited such a long time for Squall… but he never came back. I couldn't bear the pain, living life without him, and slowly I lost all the memories of my youth, the harrowing journey with my friends, and of Squall. I held on to those memories for so long and it deteriorated my mind because I had subconsciously created Griever. I honestly just woke-up one day and believed myself to be Sorceress Adel, I wanted what Adel wanted, and I did everything I could from then on to destroy SeeD and the Gardens. As Ultimecia, my goal was to go into the past of Sorceress Adel to compress time before Laguna Loire trapped Adel into the confines of Doctor Odine's sealing room. As Ultimecia, I believed it to be the ultimate 'revenge'. That is why I went so far as to use my true past self, Rinoa, as a puppet to break open Adel's seal in outer space."

"But then…" Aerith broke in attempting to end the conflict before it began, "Now that you've told us this... the past won't repeat itself. Rinoa know what it'll do to her and she'll take steps to make sure it never happens."

Aerith had sounded so sincere and hopeful but Ultimecia could see the truth that was unsaid. She looked at Aerith sadly. Rinoa simply glared. She didn't want to acknowledge what she knew to be the truth literally standing in front of her.

"It will not change anything," she replied, Aerith gazed at her with the unasked question, _Why_? "It is simple, as Rinoa, I was too stubborn to ever give-up hope on Squall Leonhart. It is the same for her. She must first realize the senselessness in her pertinacious ways. In fact, Griever's conception began when Squall Leonhart gave her the ring during the short struggle with Galbadia Garden. It slowly became a GF over time and its power to protect me manifested itself when I was trapped in space with barely any oxygen remaining in my spacesuit. My desperation to survive in space resulted in a brief enhancement of my powers. My powers channeled unto Griever. This caused Griever to protect me from within the ring and save my life."

"It did not have enough strength to fully unleash itself because it was an incomplete GF. It lacked the basic foundation for a form. It was not until I faced you and the others as Ultimecia that I was able to complete it. During the fight, I became interested in Squall out of the group for reasons inexplicable to me at the time. I gazed into his mind to find out what it could be… and I found the perfect ideals, image, and overall foundations to truly bring Griever into the world. My imbecilic attachment to Squall showed itself even then… I gave myself completely to Griever. I didn't understand, even while I fought to my death, why I cherished my Griever so much and loved what he stood for. My… foolishness for Squall persisted. What I wanted to be close to wasn't Griever but Squall. As Ultimecia, I only viewed Squall as the vile enemy destined to murder me. I was too blinded in my own failures and false memories to realize the truth until the very last stages of my ultimate form... only for it to be too late to tell them. I could only leave an unfinished plea."

"Well, that's not going to be me!" snarled Rinoa, she hated looking at the Sorceress. This bitter woman was _not_ her future! "Thanks for the warning but I think I'll manage just fine. I won't become an idiot like you!"

"Fool," spat Ultimecia in a contemptuous tone of voice, "I can recall my life and that of our world with crystal clarity because I remember everything from time compression. It is why I speak in this manner and not the olden Estharian dialect similar to Odine's. It all went wrong because you foolishly cling to Squall Leonhart. You must break any emotional attachment invested in him. If you do not… I shall be forced to kill you."

"I cannot allow the future to be ruined because of my own selfishness. It doesn't lead to anything but grief. If I must kill you – my own self – to stop calamity then I shall."

"Fuck you!" hollered Rinoa, her emotions getting the better of her, "My love for Squall is not wrong! Under no circumstances would I ever regret my feelings for him!"

"I reject you, I reject your words, and I reject your future! I am _not_ you! So you can just shove it!"

"How can you be so self-centered and idiotic?" asked the Witch disdainfully, they glared at each other hatefully. "Very well, it shall be as you like it. If you do not have the capacity to realize that your self-deluded love is not worth sacrificing countless innocents over then I must kill you. It is the only way to ensure that I cease to exist."

Ultimecia materialized a replica of Hyperion, the gunblade of Seifer Almasy, with her magic. Rinoa snarled and materialized a replica of Squall Leonhart's standard gunblade Revolver. Ultimecia said nothing. She expected as much from the young girl. It was a part of her plan. Push her younger self to her limits and then kill her once she's exhausted. This method would be quick and efficient.

"My love for Squall is absolutely genuine! It's the most genuine emotion I've ever experienced in my life!" bit back Rinoa irate over the scorn she was receiving, "How _dare_ you question it!"

Ultimecia swiftly glided down the steps and slashed at Rinoa. Rinoa put up a hasty block and was sent sailing onto the far wall nearby the double doors. She slammed against the wall before falling forward. Ultimecia threw an Ultima magic attack at Rinoa for good measure. Rinoa cried out in pain as the attack engulfed her. Ultimecia turned her attention to Aerith.

"Girl, I suggest you get out of our way and keep yourself to the sidelines," spoke Ultimecia briskly, "Or else you may be harmed during our ensuing fight. If you do not keep out of the way then I shall kill you. I will not jeopardize the safety of my world because someone from another decided to aid my past self."

Aerith hesitated. Rinoa had told her that she wanted to take on Ultimecia by herself regardless of the circumstances. As her friend, she should respect Rinoa's wishes. However, Aerith was always a caring person and seeing a friend suffer in a fight was difficult for her. Couldn't this be sorted some other way?

"Couldn't you just… try to talk this out?" Aerith pleaded. She sighed in disappointment upon seeing Ultimecia's raised eyebrow and look of disbelief. Aerith made her way to a far wall away from the two.

Nodding in approval, Ultimecia turned to see Rinoa get up shakily. The girl was not fit enough to endure attacks such as that. Ultimecia had years of experience ahead of her.

"D-don't think… that… you'll win easily…" said Rinoa slowly, attempting to steady herself. "I… I… don't c-care what you say. You're wrong about me… you're wrong about my feelings."

Ultimecia snorted before casting Blizzaga and quickly casting Holy in the direction that Rinoa feebily tried to run toward. Rinoa was too preoccupied with evading the huge icicles' that she ran straight into the Holy spell. The Holy spell burned her body mercilessly as she cried out in pain. Ultimecia looked on impassively as Aerith cringed hearing Rinoa's shrieks of pain.

"I'm wrong?" snorted Ultimecia, "You're just an idiot. Weren't you in love with Seifer before you met Squall? What happened to that? How can you claim to know what true love is when you just latch all your feelings from one man to the next?"

"It doesn't matter _who_ it is. You just want to be loved! Anybody will do. It doesn't matter if it's Seifer or Squall. You just fantasize your perfect idea for a lover and throw it at people! In short, all you really desire is a prince charming caricature and not an actual person!"

Rage – pure, unadulterated, fiery RAGE – swelled within Rinoa Heartilly.

'_Those words are a lie! I… my feelings aren't faked!'_

Rinoa ran at Ultimecia full force. She swung Revolver with both her hands only for Ultimecia to expertly block with Hyperion with one hand.

"SHUT UP!" bitched Rinoa hatefully, "You don't know anything about me! You're so into your own idea of what is what that I bet you forgot what love even is!"

Rinoa struggled to push her blade further but Ultimecia didn't budge an inch. Rinoa's heart sank as she saw Ultimecia bring her palm toward her face. If she let go of Revolver then Ultimecia could strike her with Hyperion. Rinoa jumped back as fast as possible and narrowly avoided being poisoned by a Bio spell. Ultimecia shot a Tornado spell in quick succession causing Rinoa to forcefully fly into the air with winds that brought small cuts all over her body.

"Why don't we backtrack and evaluate your pathetic 'love'," snarled Ultimecia irritated over the stupidity of the girl before her, "Your feelings for Squall Leonhart first surfaced when he saved you from those two monsters that I created when possessing Edea Kramer. You allowed your own excited emotions get the better of you and latched onto Squall from then on."

"What you failed to acknowledge under duress was that he saved you because it was a part of his job and not under any form of attachment to you. You kept forcing your pitiful emotional dependence on the poor boy from then on. It was your own fault that you were in danger in the first place. You childishly didn't listen to your father who was only trying to keep you safe. He had to take extreme measures because you impulsively kept trying to help the Timber rebellion with such actions as kidnapping the President. It would've only caused your death."

Rinoa had fallen ungracefully onto the floor. She had somehow held onto Revolver. Her body was bleeding from sharp tiny cuts all over her body. She attempted to keep her breathing steady as she got up slowly once more.

"Shut… up…" replied Rinoa slowly, her breathing becoming labored. "I… don't… I…"

Ultimecia was not sympathetic. She kept up her verbal jabs. Rinoa needed to be mentally beaten down before she would truly give up.

"You were never anything more than a spoiled child who whined about not getting her way," continued Ultimecia, "Even with Timber, all you truly did was try to selfishly change things to the way you perceived a perfect world. You just used the oppression they faced as an excuse to rationalize putting others in danger. You could've done more by working with your father and his connections to help those people than against him and forcing conflicts that resulted in Timber's military occupation."

Tears started to sting Rinoa's eyes as her heart felt a stab of pain for every syllable that the witch before her spoke. The physical pain was nothing to the mental anguish being railed upon her. Rinoa closed her eyes and took a shaky breath before opening her eyes and facing herself calmly.

"You're wrong." replied Rinoa with more confidence than she felt, "I did what I could for Timber because they were being oppressed no matter what the excuse. My father didn't want me involved because he kept seeing me as a child. He didn't have faith that I could do any good either. I cared for those people. I always had so much fun vacationing there as a kid. Not doing anything about the oppression would've been hypocritical to my own beliefs."

"My feelings for Seifer were childish. I admit that. I only knew him for one summer. My feelings for Squall? They don't even compare to that crush. Don't belittle them. They're not fake!"

"Oh really?" drawled Ultimecia, "Didn't he simply fulfill your stupid girlish fantasies? A dark handsome young man who chivalrously does his duty and protects you like a knight or a noble prince. Doesn't immediately bend to your will like the others and makes you work to get his feelings out of him. He isn't boring like the others who do everything to please you, he's dependable when you need him, and he was sweet on you later by making you feel safe when your own insecurities, such as being a witch, came up."

"Your childish fantasies regarding love are nothing special. All those dolls, stories, and desires for the perfect man… and that's all it really is. In the end, that 'love' brings heartbreak and grief. All you were left with was longing, not for Squall, but for your own stupid idolization of him. And what did that give you in the end? Nothing. That is what your love amounts to: Absolutely nothing."

"You're wrong." replied Rinoa simply attempting to hold herself back from trying to cleave Ultimecia in two, "I'll never believe it no matter how many times you say it. I'll never ever believe my love for Squall is either fake or wrong. You'll just have to kill me because my love won't waver no matter what you say or do."

Ultimecia proceeded to cast a Demi spell to cause Rinoa to fall to the floor face first.

"Your bravado gives you no credit. Neither does your stubbornness."

While Rinoa was struggling to get up, Ultimecia quickly cast a Meltdown, and a Thundaga in rapid succession. Rinoa's body was burned by the lightning attack as her defensive capabilities were rendered useless. Her body bounced on the floor tiles painfully until it slammed into the far wall with a harsh thud. Her crumpled figure lay on the ground unmoving.

"RINOA!" yelled Aerith in horror. She shrieked even further when Ultimecia sent a Flare and Meteor upon the fallen frame.

Aerith wouldn't have been able to do anything if she tried. She watched as Rinoa's battered body was burned even further by flare and struck with multiple miniature-sized meteors that exploded upon impact.

"A pitiful effort by a pitiful girl." said Ultimecia turning to face Aerith, "I expected better but I suppose that it was mere arrogance on my part. My existence should cease once this little holy grail game is over."

Aerith scowled.

"How can you…"

The words died on Aerith's lips just as Ultimecia made an about-face to see Rinoa standing. An immense green light shroud Rinoa's body before receding and vanishing entirely. Rinoa had cast a Curaga to heal herself completely.

"I refuse to lose! I'll show you! I'll prove that my feelings are real!" hollered Rinoa beginning to cast a new spell, Ultimecia summoned a quake spell but Rinoa did not budge, "Meltdown!"

Ultimecia looked in shock as she felt her guards become useless. She snarled as she began casting even more devastating spells.

"Apocal-!"

Ultimecia was stopped by Rinoa expertly using Shooting Star to hit her casting arm. Ultimecia grunted in pain but it didn't harm her significantly. Rinoa took advantage and attacked with Revolver. Ultimecia pushed her back effortlessly and cast Hell's Judgment in a flash. Rinoa braced herself but there was no way to stop the spell from doing more damage. The fiery meteors burned as they mercilessly exploded upon her body.

"Cur-!"

Rinoa didn't have time to finish as Ultimecia struck her heavily with Hyperion. Rinoa had put up a block in time but she had to stop casting the vital healing spell to do so. Ultimecia threw a Flare spell at her but Rinoa expertly moved her right arm in just the precise angle needed to hit the spell with an attack from Shooting Star rendering it useless. The flare spell engulfed both of the combatants in a blinding light… and then…

Time seemed to freeze.

Rinoa began to hear and see it. Her eyes widened stupefied as her thoughts were overwhelmed.

"_Reflect on your childhood…" _

"No…" she whispered as her mind was bombarded by the information. "No… that… that can't be right…"

"_Your sensation…" _She shook her head in denial. "_Your words…"_

"Please, stop this… I…"

"_Your emotions…"_

"PLEASE, STOP THIS! I DON'T WANT THIS!"

"_Time…"_

Rinoa simply stayed silent. She realized shouting and attempting to force the images away were futile. The memories would continue to flood her mind.

"_It will not wait…"_

She tried to keep herself from weeping at what she was both seeing and experiencing.

"_No matter how hard you hold on."_

Ultimecia silently watched Rinoa as she went through this. Perhaps now she would see reason?

"_It escapes you…"_

Rinoa shook her head wanting to stop what came next. She knew what it would be. She could see it all with crystal clarity.

"_And…"_

"No…" she couldn't help the word from escaping from her lips. She finally saw what Ultimecia saw.

"_You die."_

"I was… never able to let that final message out. It would have given them pause to consider what I said instead of merely confusing them. The last time I – we – see Squall is in the distant past where I finally collapsed and died of exhaustion with Edea Kramer taking a portion of my power." Ultimecia paused for a moment in reflection before continuing carefully. "It would technically be the last, and chronologically the first, time we ever see him. I didn't have enough energy to tell him the whole story. I attempted to keep myself alive long enough but it was in vain. The last thing I saw was his gunblade pointed at me with a hateful look on his face. He was undoubtedly _eager_ to kill me had I not died moments later."

"I…" Rinoa stopped herself from replying.

There was no denying the truth that was shown to her. They broke apart from their fighting positions and stood in front of each other.

"You saw it, didn't you? It was like your whole journey foreshadowed the insanity that would destroy you." said Ultimecia solemnly, "When I spoke to those people in Deling city with you standing next to me in a confused state due to my spell, you being forcibly junctioned on Adel as a sacrifice in the shape similar to a cross, and do you remember what we told him after defeating those aliens on the Ragnorak?"

Rinoa looked at the floor in sadness. She was unable to face Ultimecia. Unable to face the truth…

"We told him: _I don't want the future. I want the present to stand still. I just want to stay here with you…"_

"…"

"I was attempting to warn you, in particular, that what you desire won't happen. Time won't wait no matter how hard you want it to. That is simply the reality of it. You must let your feelings go or else time shall turn you into a monster like me."

"But I… love him…" she said softly in desperation, hot tears trickled down Rinoa's cheeks.

"That may be…" said Ultimecia quietly, she spoke the rest of her words in a firmer tone. "…but sometimes you have to let go of what you love for the greater good of humanity. I learned that lesson the hard way. Don't let my mistakes… the same mistake that mother suffered from too… be yours."

Rinoa closed her eyes as her head turned to the floor in defeat.

'_Is it truly useless? Is my love really so foolish? Is giving up on my Squall the right answer?'_

Suddenly, flashes of him started appearing in her mind. They always did. She always thought of Squall. Squall made her feel complete, safe, and happy… and now her thoughts of him only brought her pain.

A certain thought came unbidden in her mind.

"_What might happen next time? What will I end up doing?" spoke Rinoa with her head down. She was openly speaking about her insecurities. "Will I end up fighting everyone? …Scary thought, isn't it?"_

"_If I fall under Ultimecia's control again… SeeD will come kill me, right? And the leader of SeeD is you, Squall… Squall's sword will pierce my heart… I guess it's okay if it's you, Squall. Nobody else."_

"_Squall, if that ever happens…"_

"_That's enough!"_

He swore a promise to her after she told him her horrible dream, he consoled her by saying he would find a way to protect her, and he promised to be there for her. And then there was Edea's words…

Squall's determination, his resolve to see it through, to protect Rinoa at all costs, and Edea's words of encouragement flowed through her thoughts in turmoil.

How could she simply give-up on the man that had done so much for her out of love? How could she just give-up on her feelings for him? It was entirely selfish to think this way, Rinoa knew, but this was her life. If she persisted with her feelings then would it inevitably cause her to become Ultimecia?

She had seen it herself. The loneliness that her future self suffered, the slow erosion of her memories, and waking up to literally become her worst nightmare. Becoming Adel and committing unspeakable sins upon innocent denizens of the world, upon the valiant SeeDs attempting to end her evil, and upon time itself due to her own falsehoods. Her feelings of hating Laguna Loire for trapping 'her', hating Squall for being the apparent messiah figure that would ultimately end her life, and using her actual past self as a tool to accomplish her ends.

Adel had always wanted a successor. She had kidnapped Ellone to test her powers and to train her to become her heir. After failing to accomplish one of her life goals, being deposed, and literally going insane while being trapped in space. She had accidentally transferred some of her memories of her younger years into Rinoa when they had been junctioned together. Adel's hope for an heir had caused her to force some of her memories into Rinoa. The GF Rinoa had accidentally made had resulted in her earliest memories being lost just as Squall and the other companions lost most of their childhood memories of the orphanage. Rinoa had held on strongly to Squall's memory, of the journey, and of their love only to forget all of it. Ultimecia had sought out Seifer because he was the only one Ultimecia's mixed memories could remember having an attachment for. While she regarded Squall as the legendary figure prophesized to kill her; she didn't know or remember him as the person she loved. Any form of empathy had disappeared from her as Ultimecia.

It was a disheartening experience to go through and acknowledge. The fact her love would eventually bring forth a heartless monster in its wake. But was her life truly set in such a path if she continued to love Squall?

The images of her nightmare resurfaced. Looking across the entire world and being unable to locate Squall. To know that he had been lost in time and she had become twisted to be the cause of why he was lost forever… To be murdered by him in the end. To have a destiny that prophesized he would kill her and disappear from the world…

No… that was wrong! That wouldn't be her future! She would change it, she had the ability to change it, and the future didn't exist in any set path! The mere fact she distorted it as Ultimecia meant that she could change time in her favor! She wouldn't twist the past. Instead, she would save Squall before he was lost in time! She would reach him! She knew she could do it, she simply had to believe in herself, and Squall was more than worth the effort!

'_I'm not wrong…' _Rinoa concluded resolutely, '_I'll prove it! I WILL change my future to a happy one!'_

'_This is not some unrealistic fantasy! It CAN happen!'_

Rinoa raised her head to face Ultimecia once more. She _was_ being stubborn and selfish but she wouldn't just abandon Squall and everything they shared together.

"I understand…" said Rinoa softly, finally accepting Ultimecia's words as truth; Rinoa cast Curaga on herself to heal her wounds. Ultimecia smiled and nodded in satisfaction. Ultimecia finally felt hope for the world she had come from. "But I don't agree."

"_What?" _shouted Ultimecia in surprise, she was soon hit with a Flare spell that struck her fully. She flew up into the air with her wings as the light from the spell died down. She hissed in pain from having been singed.

"I don't agree." repeated Rinoa calmly, "I won't abandon Squall like that. I'll break the cycle. If there is any possible way to save him then I'll search an eternity for it. I don't care how long it takes me. I'll bring back my Squall! I won't just wait around – I'll seek him out."

"You deluded fool!" shouted Ultimecia livid, "You're just making the same mistakes I made! It's no different from what I did! Do you really wish to keep lying to yourself?"

"You'll only become Adel's shadow! Your body merely a husk with the mind of that evil sorceress! It'll be more damaging than Sephiroth's control of Cloud's mind!"

"I will not become that!" shouted Rinoa defiantly, "I'll overcome that. I'll make sure that my future and Squall's future turn out for the better! Being together and living happily with him isn't some fanciful dream!"

"I will make it happen!"

Rinoa used Shooting Star to blast an energy attack at Ultimecia only for Ultimecia to angrily knock it away with Hyperion.

"What you'll make is a monster!" bellowed Ultimecia righteously, "Do you really want to gamble the fate of countless innocents for your selfish desire to be with one man?"

Ultimecia stared directly into Rinoa's eyes as she asked that. Her eyes bored into Rinoa's. _Do you really not understand how naïve you are?_

"Of course!" proclaimed Rinoa confidently, the words seemed to echo in the silence that followed. Ultimecia stared at her aghast. "Like I just said, I'll break this cycle and make it happen. Squall and I can be happy together. I just have to believe in myself and in him."

"What you want is a dream!" Ultimecia scorned spitefully, "Nothing but a fantasy! It is a dream that leads you into a baneful existence with a horrible end. A final fantasy by a naïve girl clinging to hopes that aren't there!"

"I'll make that dream come true!" shouted Rinoa insolently, "I'll turn that fantasy into a reality! My final fantasy will come true no matter what the cost!"

Rage, pure unadulterated rage filtered through Ultimecia. She flew at Rinoa with top speed and struck with Hyperion. Rinoa deftly sidestepped the attack and knocked Hyperion away with Revolver. A loud clang erupted from the impact. Ultimecia continued the assault as Rinoa barely kept up with blocking and dodging Ultimecia's attacks. If Ultimecia used spells then Rinoa would block them with her own. An ice spell for a fire spell, a flare for a flare, an Ultima for a meteor, and on they went giving tit for tat in the ensuing battle.

"Have you even thought about what it is you're disputing!" She shouted in rage swinging Hyperion but missing the damned girl by inches. "Irvine, Selphie, Quistis, Zell, our father, and everybody else made all those sacrifices for nothing! All that work for nothing! Our entire life's work, SeeD, and everything we stood for amounting to absolute shit because of your_ idiocy!_"

Ultimecia threw a meteor attack. The mini-meteors raced toward Rinoa at top speeds. Rinoa summoned a bright powerful light in front of her to extinguish them all. It blinded both Ultimecia and Aerith's view of her. The Holy spell had burned the meteors to ash before they could hit her.

"What about Squall? He sacrificed the most! He tried his utmost!" growled Rinoa in an accusatory tone, "You want to just turn your back on his unconditional love? He deserves to be happy in his life! Everybody, in some way, failed him as a child! He worked-up the courage to trust his heart to me! I'm not letting that go! I'm not going to become his worst mistake!"

"If there is anyone worth risking the world for, it's my Squall!"

"Squall Leonhart is a soldier who did his duty with honor and bravery as the Leader of SeeD." spoke Ultimecia, "That's the reality of it!"

"Well, that isn't fucking good enough!" replied Rinoa furiously, "You're just using high-class words to distance yourself from the issue!"

"While they are platitudes, they do have meaning." Said Ultimecia crisply, summoning a Blizzaga only for Rinoa to block with a Firaga. Ultimecia decided to be calmer in her arguments. Yelling didn't do any good and she was allowing her hatred to show too much. "You're still being obtuse about this. What about the fact you will become me if you follow the path you're taking?"

"The future isn't set in stone. I'll find a way to save him." responded Rinoa panting from the exertion of the duel, "That isn't just some naïve ranting. I told you before, I'm not you and I will not become you!"

"You should've been imprisoned or killed a long time ago." said Ultimecia with venom in her voice, "If you hadn't tried to seal my powers then Edea's wouldn't have been transferred to yours, if Squall hadn't broken you out of the sealing chamber then I wouldn't have existed – that was the key moment, and if Seifer hadn't been such a witless moron then you would never have been junctioned unto Adel nor had memories transferred into your mind."

"My existence could have been prevented so many times yet the brashness of three teens ultimately won. Adel was given the perfect means to enact her revenge. Do you remember the messages on the Timber TV station? They were Adel's thoughts being projected onto the radio waves. The words were: "I am alive", "Bring me back there", and… "I will never let you forget about me". In the end, she got what she wanted. My… 'life' is like a dichotomy, almost as if there are two people inside me. A kind-hearted girl in grief of something she doesn't remember and a vicious bitch that wants to live on eternally while taking revenge against the world for 'wronging' her."

Rinoa stayed silent unsure of what to say.

"How can you not understand that? Understand how _wretched_ this existence is?" cried Ultimecia, Rinoa was startled to see actual tears falling down Ultimecia's cheeks. Aerith looked on sadly. "And… and I can't kill myself… that'll be the ultimate form of selfishness! I… I have to make this RIGHT! I HAVE TO MAKE IT RIGHT!"

Rinoa and Aerith were jolted by an extremely dense surge of power being summoned by Ultimecia. A thick layer of red and black aura shined around the entire area. The air around them and the energy from Ultimecia fluctuated.

"ALL THOSE INNOCENT PEOPLE I KILLED, ALL THE ATROCITIES I COMMITTED, ALL THOSE EXPERIMENTS! THE MANIPULATIONS! I MUST MAKE IT RIGHT! WHY CAN'T ANYONE UNDERSTAND ME? I WILL MAKE IT RIGHT… I WILL MAKE IT RIGHT BY KILLING **YOU**!"

"Aerith, run!" warned Rinoa as the energy spikes and gusts of wind started picking up. Hyperion had fallen to the floor discarded by Ultimecia. "Don't worry about me, just go! I promise I won't give-up even to this!"

Aerith stared at Rinoa's urgent and pleading look for a few seconds before nodding in acceptance and running away. Aerith would fully admit she was scared out of her wits by that power. She hastily barged out of the double doors of the castle praying for Rinoa's safety when facing herself.

"**NOBLE PHANTASM!" **screeched Ultimecia's voice booming throughout the castle, Rinoa covered her ears as she tried to stay standing. "**Feel my immeasurable pain, my solitude, and my wrath! I am a manipulator of time who is manipulated by time! Lo as time becomes One and One becomes I!"**

"**Time Compression!"**

A dark starry night of pitch-black overtook the area. Everything within the castle seemed to disappear in a blur as Ultimecia's body blinded Rinoa before receding into the shape of a monstrous form. Rinoa gasped in horror as she was witness to Ultimecia's true form.

"**This…**" spoke the demonic voice of Ultimecia, "**is truth. This is the end product of your struggles for a love that was so short and hollow that it may as well be considered worthless."**

"**The birth of our world's worst monster… and it's all because of your 'love'."**

Rinoa took a good look at her. There seemed to be two of Ultimecia. One was on the top with a light for a head as if viewing the world around her blinded… and the other on the bottom struggling constantly. She couldn't tell where one began and the other ended. They were intertwined in a self-inflicted depravity that they were forced to wallow in together. Two minds, one body, and the world turned asunder as the consequence.

'_All because of me…' _

"**You are an ignorant whelp who does not understand the severity of what I've tried to convey! Therefore, for our world to be made safe from my evil, you must die!"**

Rinoa stared at the monster that could, in all likelihood, be her future. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

The true form of Ultimecia used Draw to take Apocalypse from the other part of herself below her. She cast it upon Rinoa. It was far too fast to dodge. The spell hit her viciously and burned off her blue vest. She didn't move or cry. She opened her eyes and outstretched her free hand. Hyperion, left a few yards away from Ultimecia's lower head, flew to Rinoa's empty hand.

'_**What? How could she possibly…'**_

Heavenly wings erupted from Rinoa's back and took a solid form. They resembled Ultimecia's black wings except for their color. Instead of the pitch-dark raven feathered wings, they were angelic white and were tinted a light golden color. Rinoa easily held both Revolver and Hyperion in each of her hands.

'_**She should be near-death! How did she…' **_Ultimecia suddenly realized it. '_**NO! My Noble Phantasm's power to heighten my battle capacity works for her too! She's not leeching off of it. It's endowing her with power!'**_

"I understand what you're trying to accomplish…" said Rinoa delicately, "I can even respect it to some degree. I know it's arrogant and selfish of me to jeopardize the world with this gamble that is not in my favor…"

"You have shown me the depths of the abyss… the magnitude of what is at stake. Unlike you, I won't simply wait and watch the abyss until it poisons my soul. I'll take a leap. Not a leap of faith but a leap of self-confidence. I will change what happens by leaping into the abyss headstrong and finding him, no matter the odds! Your reality will not become my reality!"

And with that said, Rinoa used the power of Angel Wings to go into her variation of Berserk mode. She whirled and weaved in the air as Ultimecia threw spell after spell at her in an attempt to finish her off. She held both swords in front of her and pierced Ultimecia's body by stabbing Revolver in the middle of the creature's body and stabbing Hyperion on the top one's chest.

"**GRRRRAAAAHHHH… NO!" **cried the pitiful creature attempting to survive the fatal wounds, "**I CANNOT PERISH UNTIL I HAVE KILLED YOU…! DAMN YOU!"**

She then used Draw to take an Apocalypse from the lower one. Rinoa held the palm of her hand in front of the blinded one's face. She stared at the thing forlornly. She knew it was staring back somehow.

"Thank you." Was all Rinoa said before…. "Apocalypse!"

The strengthened magic power of Angel Wings and Time Compression resulted in Apocalypse destroying the entire castle in what resembled an atomic bomb explosion. The explosion struck skyward into the atmosphere seemingly never ending.

Aerith watched with a sense of detachment as she saw Einzbern castle disappear into a mushroom cloud. Rinoa… the only friend she had made in this strange new world since being summoned as a Servant to participate in the Holy Grail war was gone. Aerith felt bitter. Rinoa's own future self sought her out to kill her. Aerith's own inhibitions about returning to the seventh world, her world, resurfaced. Somehow she knew that once she returned she would die in some horrible way. She couldn't explain it but she could _feel_ it. Once she returned, she would die. She wanted to live.

What would her death amount to? Would it actually have meaning or would she be killed like some hapless lamb for slaughter? Was there such a thing as a meaningful death? Aerith didn't believe so anymore. After all, once you're dead then you're gone. Why would anyone want to die?

What if, however, she had accomplished something with that death? What if she saved the world? Did that somehow make it better? Was her death 'justified' under that circumstance? Did that mean it was better off that she died? She still hadn't helped Cloud, she hadn't found out what happened to Zack, and they hadn't stopped Sephiroth yet. She didn't want to die… why was the world so cruel to her? Perhaps everyone would be secretly happy she was dead… Tifa would certainly feel better knowing that she was no longer a challenge to win Cloud's attention, Cait Sith didn't seem to give a damn about anyone, and everyone else was just concerned with their own pathetic problems. Aerith included herself in that too. She was always a burden to everyone…

She flinched and turned around when she heard something fly down near her. She stared in surprise. Rinoa had flown down with angelic white wings on her back, two swords in her hand, and and a gentle smile on her face. Her blue vest seemed to have disappeared somehow. Aerith ran up and immediately hugged her. Rinoa smiled warmly but couldn't hug back because she was holding the swords. Aerith backed away and smiled in joy. Both stared at each other not knowing what to do next.

"Don't tell me you actually died and this is what happens to the participants after losing the contest." joked Aerith trying to break the awkward tension. Rinoa mirthfully shook her head. "So… what happened? Did you end-up killing her…?"

She was hesitant to say it. She didn't like the idea of Rinoa figuratively committing suicide.

"We settled it… I decided to keep these as a reminder." said Rinoa holding up the swords before having them disappear into magic and absorbing them. "This increase in power will remind me this wasn't just an hallucination or dream when we all return to our worlds."

"I didn't kill her though. Almost but she managed to worm her way out. Although something tells me we'll see her again and I don't think it'll be as enemies."

"Really?" asked Aerith in surprise happily, Rinoa had averted destroying herself. "Oh! Let me heal your wounds. You don't look it but I can tell you're hanging on by a thread…"

"Yeah, yeah…" replied Rinoa snobbishly, "Thanks MOM, I surely need to be babied and nitpicked every few minutes."

"Hey! I can't help being concerned, PRINCESS." replied Aerith just as sarcastically, using the terrible nickname that the Timber revolutionaries dubbed Rinoa. "Nice to know my efforts are so APPRECIATED after all I do for you."

Aerith cast Curaga on Rinoa. Aerith had willingly shared her Cure spells with Rinoa in preparation for the fight. Once Rinoa was fully healed, she hugged Aerith back tightly before letting go.

"Sincerely, thank you for everything." said Rinoa affectionately, "Well then! On we go to the Grand Line!"

Aerith was touched by the display of affection and then raised an eyebrow at Rinoa's statement.

"Don't you mean the holy grail? We still have that strange Noctis guy to defeat with Berserker Servant Terra and Vaan who was given Assassin Servant Omega Weapon."

"It's basically the same thing!" Rinoa paused for a moment, "Wait… what happened to Sephiroth and Lancer Kain?"

"Kain eliminated Sephiroth by stabbing him in the back…"

Rinoa stared at Aerith.

"You're joking, right? Why would Kain do that…?"

"Sephiroth used a command spell to order Kain to kill himself after he refused to attack Rosa. Sephiroth wanted to kill her quick because Caster left her but Kain gutted him through the back in betrayal before he died."

"….Wow."

Aerith stared up at the sky for a moment before looking back at Rinoa.

"And… Rosa just took Avenger Ashe… She didn't have a Master left after Kefka was beaten by Omega Weapon before he could use Avenger. That gives us a fighting chance against Omega…"

"You know, I'm extraordinarily glad I got teamed-up with you." chuckled Rinoa, "because an inconspicuous looking girl with a Noble Phantasm that can summon three invisible and undetectable angels to spy on other participants out of the power of 'concern' is pretty scary…"

It was unfortunate that Ultimecia's Noble Phantasm had completely blocked the view of one of the angel's Aerith sent. It had made Aerith uneasy about Rinoa's safety but it had worked out for the better in the end.

Aerith shrugged and giggled.

"Who would've guessed?"

They both laughed as they trekked to their next destination. Information was key and with that information they had a very high chance of winning the war.


End file.
